Its no secret Microsoft is working hard on the next Windows installment for some time, but its the first time we hear something official about it. According to Steve Ballmer, Windows 8 will be optimized for "slates, tablets, PCs, a variety of different form factors". Ballmer also noted Windows 7 sold over 350 million licenses worldwide and it brought lots of improvements touch, ink and speech.
Ok, what we know so far is that Windows 8 for PCs will look much like its predecessor with a few UI changes, while the game changer should happen into the touch-based gadgets slates, tablets, etc. There is still no info on how and if Windows 8 will help the game development. I guess everyone is just too busy waiting for Duke Nukem Forever, so we will know after the impossible happens in June.
Here is another interesting extract from the Ballmer interview:
“And yet, as we look forward to the next generation of Windows systems, which will come out next year, there is a whole lot more coming. As we progress through the year, you ought to expect to hear a lot about Windows 8.”
